Everything Peaches

I will be adding more pictures and recipes to this post over time. This post is all about PEACHES.

Peach Cobbler

Peach filling

• 2-3 cups of fresh peaches cut in slices
• 1/8 cup of sugar
• 3 Tbsp corn starch

Crust

• 3/4 cup sugar ( I used Rapadura)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk ( I used rice milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 6 Tbsp butter

1. Melt butter in the bottom of baking dish.
2. cook over medium heat peaches, sugar, and corn starch. cook until sauce gets a little thick. About 15 minutes.
3. Mix together crust ingredients. Pour crust mix into baking dish. Add peaches on top. 
4. Bake at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Picking Peaches

Picking peaches at a local peach orchard

Pancakes

Flax Seed Pancakes with peaches

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

While searching for a recipe for zucchini Bread I realized that they all had tones of sugar in them. So, I was left to make up a recipe that was healthy enough to make but also tasty enough to eat.  I was pleased with the way this bread came out. The raisins give it the sweet touch that it needed since it only has 2 Tbsp of sugar in it.

1 c. shredded zucchini
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, sugarless
1/2 c. melted butter
2 Tbsp sugar. I used Rapadura 
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking power
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. raisins 
2 c. flour

Venison and squash casserole

Here is another meal idea.

Venison - back strip cut into thin slices, marinated, and grilled
Squash Casserole - topped with cheese and crackers
Baked beans

Chia Seed Fruit Salad

I attend a local Raw Foods Class and everybody that attends brings a dish for a pot luck at the end. I brought this dish for this months class. Here is a little bit of information about chia seeds.


Chia seeds contain more omega 3′s than any other natural source. You do not have to grind them to release their goodness like flax seeds. Chia seeds are easily digestible and provide one of the highest degrees of anti-oxidant activity. Because of their unique blend of protein, essential Fats, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and antioxidants, chia is one of the best among seeds and grains for providing energy to your body.


Fruit Salad

• 1 Apple, chopped
• 1 Orange, chopped
• 1/2 C Strawberries
• 1/2 cup unsweetened raisins
• 1/2 C walnuts
• 1/2 C unsweetened coconut 

Dressing

• 3 T Agave
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 T Chia seeds

Strawberry Biscuit Shortcake

The shortcakes and whipped topping in this recipe are not very sweet. This recipe really lets the strawberries shine with there natural sweetness

Shortcakes

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup Organic Whole Cane Sugar. I used Rapadura 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tbsp butter, cold and cut into chunks
• 1 cup milk

Whipped Topping

• 1 pint of heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 - 13/4 cup of confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Place dry ingredients into food processor. Mix. Work quickly and keep everything cold.
2. And liquid gradually and blend only enough to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Roll lightly to 1/2" thickness.
3. Use a biscuit cutter to make round shortcakes. you can make what ever shape or size you want.
4. Bake in a preheated 450°F oven until shortcakes are crisp and very light and color, and this will depend on what size shortcake has been cut; the smallest been cooked in as little as 10 minutes or less, and the largest requiring 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven. Watch constantly to avoid burning or browning too much. 

Grab your husband and have him serve them to your guests, lol.

Pie Crust

After making my own pie crusts for pies and quiches, I don't think I could ever buy one at the store. This recipe is easy and so flaky and delicious. I decided to start making my own pie crusts when I looked at the ingredients of a store bought one. Too many things in those I don't want to eat. 


Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Instructions 

1. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again.
2. Remove dough from processor and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. The small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.
3.  Remove one crust from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Make sure to pull crust onto the top to the pie dish. This will hold it in place while it bakes because this crust shrinks a little while it is baking.

Raw Sun-dried Tomato Olive Crackers

Raw Sun-dried Tomato Olive Crackers

• 2 cups walnuts, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup ground flax
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, softened and chopped
• 1/2 cup olives, sliced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• pinch thyme
• Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

1. Place walnuts in the food processor and pulse until they are ground fine. Make sure walnuts are completely dry first.
2. Add ground flax and pulse until combined.
3. Add sun-dried tomatoes and olives. Pulse until combined. Do not over mix.
4. Stir in the oregano, thyme, salt, and peper.
5. Spread onto non-stick dehydrator sheet. Press to 1/4 – 1/8 th inch thick. Score. Dehydrate at 140 for an hour, then 115 until very dry. Mine took about 8 more hours. You will want to flip the crackers half way through dehydration.

Frozen Chocolate Covered Bananas

I made these out of the really small bananas but I am sure you could use regular bananas and cut them in half.

It was very simple to make these.

1. Get a bag of your favorite chocolate chips. We used Ghirardelli 60 % cacao baking chips. 
2. Peel bananas, put a stick in them, and place in freezer for a couple of hours. 
3. Melt chips and dip frozen bananas in chocolate. If you hold the dipped banana for about 30 seconds the chocolate will dry and then you can place on a plate. 
4. Store in freezer. 

A little bit of Costa Rica

My family and I just visited Costa Rica and I thought you might enjoy a few photo's.

Driftwood 

Drinking coconut water right out of the coconut

Arenal Lake 

A fruit stand that we bought local fruit from

A local boat that took us fishing, snorkeling, and to a private beach

Windmills on the hill sides 

The Volcano just past Lake Arenal